The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-09-09

A Long Time Returning.
A BOY SENT ON AN ERRAND RETURNS NINE
YEARS AFTER WITH THE GOODS.
Paducah News
just nine years ago on II May -day morning
from farm house on the bank of the Ohio,
Il few miles above the city of Paducah, a boy
OF sixteen was sent by his mother to town
for some household supplies-a dollars worth
of sugar and coffee The incident of itself is
nothing il occurs scores Of times in the life
of every farmer boy: but thereby hangs a
tale, ct which DeFoe could have written II
volume, and winch, woven into n novel,
would he of intense interest to the youthful
readers OF the hali-dimc libraries.
II the family to which this hero b, Onged
Ind waited the evening meal for his return,
the Coroner would have found "dcnth-by-
starvation case" and if no other messenger
was sent for the articles, The hum of the cnl-
tce-mil and the singing OF the kettle would
have not been heard in that house all these
many days.
The boy was of II rowing disposition; was IL
Buht miau by nature, and, fired with the highly
conrcd stories of lie in the far West, his eT-
rand tor sugar and coffee ended in II nine
years search for fame and fortune beyond
the Rockies. Coming to town that day, he
disappeared rs utter rs though the earth had
opened and swallowed him up. Not trace
of him could be found, not II word could be
heard, and after days OF anxiety had length
ened into months of sorrow, and months had
measured years, without tdings. the grief
and pain grew into the apathy of despair, and
the mother let longing die, and thought of
him as having crossed the dark river to Join
the countless crowd on the farther shore
The boy went West Sometimes fortune
smiled upon him and lett him happy and
hopeful sometimes luck went by on the other
side and he sighed for the rest ofhome. Some
times he dined on plenty sometimes the din
ner.table was n stranger. Sometimes his
raiment was of fine linen and fair to look
upon at other times, through the rents in
the rags that covered his back, not sign of
shirt could be seen and the cold, cutting
winds of the middle Of December played
gleeful game with the spots where the shirt
ought 10 have been. The world was great
deal larger, great deal colder, and great
deal less inclined to encourage youth
full aspirations than he had ever imagined.-
Years of experience robbed him of the arrog-
ancc ofyouth, and taught him the truth that
the tour-leafed shamrock of future grows just
as luXuriantly at home, and the glitter ofgold
is just rs bright when seen by ones own
hearth-StOne
Wearying at last of the struggle he deter
mined to return. He reached Paducah nine
years from the day he left home. The steamer
Rhea was in port, and he tarried in the city
only long enough to purchase the sugar and
coffee for which he had been sent so long be-
fore and took passage. When the boat round
cd in at his landing he was in the pilot
house and saw his mother standing at the
gate looking at the boat and wondering no
doubt who could be coming. He went ashore
and walked up to the gate. She did not seem
TO know him, and, as he advanced, retreated
towards the house, He came nearer, nearer
until she could see every line and lineament
of his face. Then did she recognize him?
Ask any mother who has had a son 90 out
from her sight into the world and in after
years come back to her with the stamp of age
upon him; ask any mother if that one whom
she has nursed and nurtured through the tot
tering days of babyhood and watched grow
tail and strong and proud could be forgotten
ask any mother who, as she reads this, looks
up and smiles on some fair boysh form and
knows in her heart no time could alter those
features so that she could not see in them
something OF her own Ask these. What
passed between the mother and son we do not
know, and if we did it would not find place
in these columns I; for what tongue can tell
or pen portray the feeling each must have
had when they stood face to face he, beard
ed and brawny, sun-tanned and tawny she
old and wrinkled, but his mother We know
not what words they said, what tears they
shed but we venture this, that if on the farm
there was one yearlng just little fatter than
all the rest, that calfnever saw daylight again,
and when the feast was spread the first line
on the bill of fare was sugar and coffee"